Madera High School senior Nancy Iniguez already knows what career she wants pursue after graduation, but she learned more about how to aim for higher education and how to pay for it during the annual College Awareness Conference on Saturday.

Many of her classmates, however, didn’t take the time to join her ― even those who signed up for the conference.

From financial aid, to meeting requirements for high school graduation and transferring to a university, nearly 150 students and their parents learned about higher education during 22 workshops at Madera South High School. The conference was organized by teachers and administrators from Madera High School and Madera South High School with the help of the UC Merced Migrant Scholars Program.

“I think it’s helpful. I liked it,” said Iniguez, who found out about the conference through an advisor...